Watch assembly



Jan. 2, 1945. J, J. KAPPES WATCH ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 29, 1939 mum! Z5 INVENTOR. eiakn J [fag mugs wwa ATTORNEY 5 illHll xix Patented Jan. 2, 1945 WATCH ASSEMBLY John J. Kappes, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Henry Rattermann, J r., Cincinnati, Ohio Application August 29, 1939, Serial No. 292,458

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to watches or clocks and is particularly directed to a means for facilitating the assembly of these mechanisms wherein a number of shafts must be simultaneously aligned with their respective bearings before said mechanism can be adjusted to normal operative condition.

An object of the invention is to provide a means associated with and made a permanent part of the top plate of a watch mechanism which serves when the watch is assembled to immediately align all the shafts of the watch train with theirbearings in said plates.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive means for accomplishing the foregoing objects.

Other objects will become apparent from the following specification and drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a watch with the back cover removed to show the top plate thereof, parts such as the escape-wheel bridge and escapement mechanism being removed.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 2 except the train bridge is shown as it is moved downwardly into operative position during assembly.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of a watch train wheel in operative position.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional View showing a modification of my invention.

The embodiment of my invention consists of a watch mechanism 1 and, as shown in the drawing, has the back cover and dial removed therefrom. The mechanism shown has a pillar plate 8 and a top plate which generally consists of a train bridge 9, a barrel bridge l0 and an escape-wheel bridge (not shown) Means for holding the plates together in spaced relationship comprises a shoulder ll formed along the edge of the barrel bridge, downward extensions [2 and I3 on the train bridge 9, and conventional screws l4. Positioned between the plates are a main wheel l5, center wheel and pinion 16, third wheel and pinion ll, fourth wheel and pinion l8, and escapement wheel and pinion IS, the center, third, fourth and escapement wheels being generally referred to as the train wheels. Each wheel is provided with a shaft 20 which has a reduced portion 2| at each end for insertion into aligned bearing holes 22 formed in the top and pillar plates. As clearly indicated in Fig. 4, these bearing holes open to the outer surface of the plates and are of a length less than the thickness of the plates, and are further substantially equal in length to the extensions of the reduced portion of the wheel shafts. Semispherical concavities 23 which have a wall inclined upwardly from the face of the plates to the bearing holes are formed in the top plate concentrically with said bearing holes. Similar concavities may be formed around the bearing holes in the pillar-plate, but, for the purposes of this invention, any type of bearing holes could be employed for j ournalling the lower ends of the shafts in said pillar plate. The concavities are formed on adjacent faces of the plates so that in operative position, as indicated in Fig. 4, the square shouldered portions 24 on the shafts adjacent the reduced portion freely engage the concavities to provide oil-retaining spaces between the shoulders and the portions of the concavities adjacent the bearing holes.

As indicated in Fig. 5, I contemplate using jewel bearings in the watch described in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, and to that end annular openings 25 are formed in the top plate. A jewel bearing 28 is then inserted in the opening in any usual manner, said jewel having a central semispherical concavity 29 and a bearing hole 30. The reduced portion 2| on the shaft 28 is insorted in the bearing hole 30 with the shoulder portion 24 thereof in contact with the portion of the concavity adjacent the bearing hole as is the case with the shafts and concavitles described in my preferred form. I

Previous to this invention, it had been the practice in the assembly of watches to place the pillar plate upon a flat surface and insert the lower ends of the train shafts into their respective bearing holes formed in said plate. When the train shafts were freely set in their bearing holes "each shaft assumed various angular positions relative to the pillar plate. A top plate having at least two bearing holes formed in it was then brought into position above the upper ends of the shafts and held there whilst the upper ends of the shafts were one by one brought into alignment with said bearing holes in said top plate. This procedure was extremely tedious and required a great amount of time because as one shaft was aligned with its respective bearing hole in the top plate, it would be displaced whilst the watchmaker was endeavoring to align the second or third shaft with its bearing hole. In assembling a watch having the teachings of my invention incorporated therein, the pillar plate, serving as the usual lower plate in the assembly of a watch, is placed on a flat surface and the lower ends of the shafts comprising the train wheels are inserted in their respective bearing holes. The top plate is then brought over the upper ends of the wheel shafts and positioned in substantial vertical alignment with its normal operative position upon the pillar plate. As shown in Fig. 3 the train wheel shafts 20 will be disposed in various angular positions on the pillar plate and their respective concavities are of such effective extent as to overlie and be in registry with th upper free ends of said shafts. Upon downward movement of the top plate, the upper ends of the wheel shafts will enter the concavities and the watchmaker with a few slight taps upon the top plate will simultaneously bring the shafts into alignment with and then into the bearing holes formed in the top plate. It is then only necessary to tighten the screws to place the watch mechanism in operative condition.

What is claimed is:

1. In a watch the combination of a gear train, a pillar plate, a top plate spaced from the pillar plate and having at least two bearing holes formed therein for journaling the upper ends of the gear train shafts normally positioned between said plates, enlarged concavities formed in the lower side of the top plate and each disposed concentrically around a bearing in the top plate, the concavities having a wall inclined upwardly from the interior face of the top plate to the bearing holes, said concavities being formed with an effective lateral opening at the lower end to overlie and be in registry with the upper ends of the gear train shafts freely journaled in angular positions on the pillar plate when said top plate is in approximate spaced alignment above said pillar plate, whereby upon downward movement of the top plate to its normal assembled position on the pillar plate the upper ends of said shafts engage said concavities and are automatically and simultaneously directed toward and into their respective bearing holes upon downward movement of said top plate from the spaced position to its assembled position on the pillar plate.

2. In a watch having a pillar plate and a top plate spaced apart and provided with hearing holes for mounting at least two shafts of a watch mechanism positioned therebetween, means for facilitating the assembly of same, comprising a concavity formed in the face of the top plate adjacent th mechanism and disposed around each bearing hole in said top plate, the concavities having a wall inclined inwardly from the face to the bearing holes whereby the free ends of the shafts, having their lower ends journaled in the pillar plate, engage said concavities and are automatically directed toward and entered into their respective bearing holes upon movement of said top plate toward its operative position relativeto th pillar plate.

3. In a watch having two spaced plates each provided with at least two bearing holes for mounting the shafts of a watch mechanism positionedtherebetween, means for facilitating the assembly of same, comprising a concavity formed in the adjacent face of the upper plate around each bearing hole and having a wall inclined inwardly from said face to the bearing hole whereby the free ends of the shafts having their lower ends journaled in the lower plate are automatically and simultaneously entered into their respective bearing holes in said upper plate upon movement of the plates toward their normal as sembled positions.

4. In a watch having a pillar plate and a top plate spaced apart and provided with bearing. holes for mounting at least two shafts of a watch mechanism positioned therebetween, means for facilitating the assembly of same, comprising a concavity formed in the face of the top plate adjacent the mechanism and disposed around each bearing hole in said top plate, said bearing engage said concavities and are automatically directed toward and entered into their respective bearing holes upon movement of said top plate toward its operative position relative to the pillar plate.

JOHN J. KAPPES. 

